


Third Wheel

by Kiskillingit



Category: Twenty One Pilots
Genre: Angst, Bullying, F/M, Highschool AU, M/M, Sad, Sad Josh, Toxic Friendships, Tyler's an asshole, loyal josh, very brief mention of self harm (like super vague but still be careful please)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-24
Updated: 2017-06-24
Packaged: 2018-11-18 14:07:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,370
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11292234
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kiskillingit/pseuds/Kiskillingit
Summary: Tyler is a great friend. Then he dates Jenna, and Jenna is super great. But then Tyler is less great. But that's okay because Josh is a great friend and Tyler needs space sometimes.





	Third Wheel

Josh was super excited when his best friend got a girlfriend. After all, that was like the goal, right? And she was kind, beautiful, and funny. Jenna was great. She was really nice to Josh too so he really had no problem with her or with her dating Tyler. Tyler was stricken and Josh was his wingman, helping him impress Jenna. He was proud of himself for the part he played in getting this relationship rolling.

Josh even made himself accept the fact that he and Tyler never ever hung out without Jenna anymore because he could be a good sport and, again, Jenna was great. So two became three. And of course Tyler and Jenna would have dates without him but that’s just to be expected. And sometimes Tyler wouldn’t text him back when he was with Jenna, but again, Josh expected that.

When summer break started though, after the end of grade 11, it got worse. Tyler was always busy with Jenna but now Josh was almost never invited. And when he was, while Jenna was pleasant, Tyler only really talked to Jenna. He would interrupt Josh and he never listened when Josh talked. But Josh convinced himself that he was okay with it.

Sometimes, Tyler would call him at 3am and Josh would answer by the third ring every single time. Tyler would cry into the speaker for hours and Josh would listen and offer advice. After all, Tyler had always struggled with mental health and Josh was just kind of a great friend. 

When Josh came out to his family as bi that summer they had not reacted well and had kicked Josh out for the night. He called Tyler six times then just gave up and slept at the park that night. It took four days for Tyler to call back but when he did he apologised lots and Josh assured him it was alright. Tyler had just been busy and Josh understood that.

By the first of August Josh’s home life was getting worse. His parents wouldn’t even talk to him most days but it was worse when they did. They told him he was disgusting, they’d tell him he was going to hell. He hit a growth spurt over that summer, he cut his hair shorter and stopped straightening it, and he stopped smiling. 

The first day back at school and Tyler hadn’t answered his texts in 3 weeks. And even before that they were single word answers. The only time they had really talked most of the summer was when Tyler would call to rant or ask for validation.

But Josh was okay with it because Tyler struggled and Josh was a great friend. 

Josh didn’t talk to Tyler that first day and Josh went to sit with him but all the seats at that table were full so he just sat by himself instead. But he was cool with it.

That night when he was laying in bed he got a text from Jenna. 

Received: Jenna  
Are you okay, Josh?

Josh didn’t text back, but he did think to himself, ‘man Jenna is great. I’m glad her and Tyler are working out well.’

The first week back and Josh developed his first crush on a boy ever. A boy named Jon. He needed advice before he asked Jon out though. He decided to approach Tyler while he was at his locker. It had been awhile but he was sure Tyler would give him some tips. After all he’d been dating Jenna almost a year and Josh himself had zero dating experience at all.

Tyler was talking to a couple of his new friends but they stopped their conversations when Josh walked up nervously. “Uh hey, Tyler! Long time huh?” He laughed anxiously.

“Mhmm,” Tyler winced and if Josh didn’t know better he’d think Tyler was embarrassed by him but they’d been friends since kindergarten so he knew that wasn’t true. 

Tyler went right back into his conversation with the blonde guy he was talking to and Josh cleared his throat to get his attention back. 

“Um,” Tyler looked at him and the blonde boy did a bad job at holding back his laughter. “Yes, Josh?”

“I wanted to- uh, can I talk to you a minute? I need some advice.” Josh smiled hopefully.

It looked like Tyler rolled his eyes but Josh knew that he must have seen it wrong. “Yeah I guess. Jack, I’ll catch up with you later, kay?”

‘Jack’ nodded and left. 

“What do you need, Josh?” Tyler almost sounded… exasperated. 

“I need some advice. Remember this summer when I told you I was bi?” Josh asked. He had in fact texted it to Tyler that night he was kicked out, although he never got a response.

Tyler scoffed, “You were serious about that?”

It felt a knife to his heart the way Tyler just put him down like that but he persevered. “Um yeah. I was. I want to ask J- a person out and need some advice.”

“Please tell me this person isn’t a boy, Josh.” Josh couldn’t pretend that Tyler’s words were friendly anymore. He felt nauseous. 

“I- well yeah it is.” Josh shrugged.

“That’s disgusting, Josh. Text me when you get over this whole,” he waved his hands around, “phase or whatever.” and with that Tyler turned and left.

Josh held it together until he reached the bathroom. He barely made it into a stall before bursting into tears. He realised now that he’d been an idiot for a long time. Jenna was great, he’d always known that. And Tyler had been great before Jenna. But after Jenna, Tyler was different. And now Tyler wasn’t even Tyler anymore. 

November rolled around and Josh was shocked to see his phone ring with a phone call from Tyler Joseph. He answered on the second ring. Jenna had told Tyler she wanted a break and Josh played supportive friend for nearly five hours that night. He went way over on his minutes but the extra fee was worth it because Josh was a good friend and Tyler was unstable and needed a friendly ear. 

After that weekend, back at school, Tyler and Jenna seemed as close as ever once again and some kid in Tyler english class named Mark assured Josh that they had broken up but gotten back together the next day. 

Someone, although Josh was sure it wasn’t Tyler, outed Josh to the school and the bullying was rough. But Josh was the okay one, always. Until the day before christmas break when Josh wasn’t okay. He had found a multitude of hateful notes slid into his locker. Someone had written ‘fag’ on his locker in sharpie and then three kids, one of which was Tyler’s friend Jack, cornered him after school and beat the shit out of him. 

Josh was very not okay that night. His mother had called the Joseph household that night to pass onto Tylers mom to pass onto Tyler that Josh was in hospital if Tyler wanted to visit.

Tyler never visited and Josh went back to school in the new year. He had bags under his eyes and a frown on his face. The bullying just numbed him now. He did delete his facebook and instagram because at least then he was safe from his cruel classmates at home. 

He had another bad night and this time he tried phoning Tyler. His heart broke when Tyler answered with “Hello, who is this?”

He hung up immediately. He decided maybe it was time that he deleted Tyler’s contact too. But he didn’t.

In february Tyler came up to him in school and asked if he could borrow $100. And of course Josh let him because he was a good friend and Tyler needed help sometimes and Josh understood that. 

2 years after graduating Josh saw Tyler’s wedding pictures online and he was still surprised he wasn’t invited. 

3 years after graduating Josh got married to a cute boy named Jon and asked Tyler through that saved phone number if he’d be his best man. He never got a reply but he was okay with that because Tyler needed space sometimes.

**Author's Note:**

> Okay I actually really like this but please let me know what you think! Also I think I tagged it okay but fill me in if I should add a tag.
> 
> If you're ever in josh's place get out of there. Unhealthy relationships do extend to friendships.


End file.
